University Students' Self-Rated Health and Use of Health Services: A Secondary Analysis

Poor health disparities among racialized students in a Canadian university

OBJECTIVE

The short report aims to examine differences in self-rated general health across racialized post-secondary students at a university in Ontario, Canada.

METHODS

Binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine poor health as an outcome among racialized students as whole, as well as across Asian, South Asian, Afro-Caribbean and Middle Eastern student groups in comparison to white Caucasian post-secondary students.

RESULTS

After adjusting for several covariates, racialized students as a whole had 2.43 times the odds of reporting poor general health compared to white Caucasian students. Asian (OR = 2.77; CI = 1.84-4.18; p < 0.05) and South Asian (OR = 2.52; CI = 1.56-4.08; p < 0.05) students were significantly more likely to report poor health compared to white Caucasian students.

CONCLUSION

The findings call for further attention to the health needs of racialized post-secondary students living in Canada and creating campuses where diverse student populations feel safe and systemically included.

Mental health, self-rated health, risky sexual behaviour, alcohol use, and drug use among students who intend to spend a semester abroad - a cross-sectional study

Aim

Our aim was to investigate potential differences in mental health, self-rated health, risky sexual behaviour, alcohol use, and drug use between (1) Prospective exchange students and campus students separated by sex, and (2) male and female students as a group.

Method

Comparative cross-sectional design using an online survey containing the following instruments: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Sexual Behaviour in Young People in Sweden; Self-Rated Health Questionnaire; and General Health Questionnaire 12. One-hundred and fourteen prospective exchange students and 451 campus students participated in the study.

Results

Male prospective exchange students rated their mental health as being better and had used cannabis more often compared with female prospective exchange students. Male prospective exchange students also rated their mental health as being better than male campus students. Female students, in general, rated their mental health as worse than male students. A larger proportion of male prospective exchange students had sex together with alcohol compared with male campus students, and a larger proportion of female prospective exchange students had sex with a new partner and drank more alcohol compared to female campus students.

Conclusion

The result shows that risky alcohol use and sexually risky behaviour is prominent amongst prospective exchange students. It is possible that they will continue, and even increase their risky behaviour whilst abroad as they find themselves in a new social context, and free from influence of the rules and restrictions that they might have at home. With limited knowledge of the local culture, native language, and in an unfamiliar environment, it is possible that the risks will be enhanced and possibly decrease their health. This highlights the need for proactive interventions, conceivably with some variations in content between sexes.